America’s Metropolitan Employment Situation Continues to Improve

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Even though private sector job growth was not as apparent in July as it was in other months, many economists were still encouraged by the BLS’ most recent “The Employment Situation” report.

The report revealed a steady rise in hiring, as the private sector generated 161,000 new jobs in July, the 41st consecutive month of private job creation.

Public sector employment statistics were also released. As a surprise to many economists, government hiring actually augmented for the first time in 2013, rising by 1,000. Local government hiring was especially noticeable, increasing by 6,000, as 10,100 local government educators were added to payrolls.

Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment

Within the private sector, hiring was widespread throughout most industries, including manufacturing and information, which had recently recorded net job losses.

As most economists projected, joblessness continued to decline within a majority of the United States’ metropolitan areas in June, according to the BLS’ latest “Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment” report, which was released on July 30th.

Two of the report’s findings especially stood out. First, 282 of the nation’s 372 metro areas recorded a rise in nonfarm payroll employment from June 2012 to June 2013, a sign of steady economic progress. And, second, as further indication of economic recovery, unemployment also declined within most of the nation’s metro areas, as anticipated. In all, 272 areas documented lower unemployment rates in June 2013 than in June 2012.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the United States’ national unemployment rate was measured at 7.8 percent in June, a decrease of 0.6 percent, when compared to June 2012’s rate; 214 metro areas’ rates were either lower than or equal to this measurement. Of these areas, 26 reported jobless rates of less than five percent, including Bismarck, N.D. In June, Bismarck’s unemployment rate, of 2.8 percent, was the nation’s lowest for the second straight month.

On the other hand, Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., once again recorded the country’s highest jobless rates, at 31.8 and 23.6 percent, respectively. Nevertheless, El Centro’s employment situation has improved in recent months, as the city’s unemployment rate contracted by 5.4 percent from June 2012 to June 2013, the nation’s largest year-to-year decrease.

In addition, the BLS released the following inflation and employment figures, providing further evidence that the nation’s economic recovery is steadily occurring.

In Your Region

Mid–Atlantic

In particular, the metropolis’s education and health services and leisure and hospitality sectors recorded the largest year-to-year rise in employment, as hiring increased by 3.6 and 2.4 percent, respectively.

Midwest

Although Iowa City, Iowa’s government employment declined by 0.6 percent from June 2012 to June 2013, private sector hiring was quite robust during that time span.

The most noticeable rise in hiring occurred within the city’s professional and business services sector, which reported a 9.1 percent year-over-year gain in employment.

Mountain-Plains Employment – Kansas

At 6.6 percent, the greater Kansas City, Kansas area’s jobless rate remained below the national average in June, as total employment increased by 8,700.

Roughly 987,000 residents were employed on a full-time or part-time basis, as the metropolis’s total civilian labor force rose to 1.06 million, the highest monthly total of 2013.

New England

With 19,400 public sector workers employed, the greater Burlington, Vermont area’s government hiring continued to upsurge, rising by 1.6 percent from June 2012 to June 2013.

Since January, the city’s total public sector employment has augmented on a year-to-year basis by 1.7 percent per month, on average.

New York–New Jersey Employment

The greater New York City area’s Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) each upturned by 1.8 percent, respectively, from June 2012 to June 2013.

Southeastern Employment – Kentucky

Despite a slight uptick in unemployment, the greater Louisville, Kentucky area’s total employment and civilian labor force measurements each rose to yearly highs in June.

Approximately 595,100 residents were employed, as the city’s total civilian labor force augmented by 6,800, rising to 650,600.

Southwestern Employment – Texas

Finance, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality hiring gains were especially noticeable, as total employment rose by 5.7, 5.5, and 3.3 percent, respectively, from June 2012 to June 2013.

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